D&D General My Problem(s) With Halflings, and How To Create Engaging/Interesting Fantasy Races

[Crimson Longinus]

if they are so irrelevant why keep them in at all?

Getting rid of all the species in D&D probably wouldn't be terribly well received.

 

[Don Durito]

if they are so irrelevant why keep them in at all?

It's better to throw crumbs at lovers than give jewels to haters?

 

[Mind of tempest]

Getting rid of all the species in D&D probably wouldn't be terribly well received.

true but we end up with lots of forgotten things in dnd so what would one more do?

 

[Hussar]

And these things just take up space that could be devoted to things that are actually new, and actually creative, and actually engaged with the world in which we live.

The irony here is just too funny.

 

[Yora]

For all the "because LOTR" D&D uses to keep Halfings a major race in the game, I'm surprised there is no "Ring of Halflings" magic item that buffs halflings and curses all other races.

That actually sounds like a great free DM's Guild file: 20 magic items based on halfling traits and deities.

 

[Bohandas]

For all the "because LOTR" D&D uses to keep Halfings a major race in the game, I'm surprised there is no "Ring of Halflings" magic item that buffs halflings and curses all other races.

Don't you mean a ring that turns your character into an invisible crackhead?

 

[Cadence]

Don't you mean a ring that turns your character into an invisible crackhead?

Ring that attracts an ancient halfling stalker.

 

[Neonchameleon]

The issue about saving space is that at most we're saving three pages in the PHB. I've only seen two plausible long-listed extra races for the PHB (tabaxi, outside chance of warforged) and a substitution (half orcs being replaced by either orcs or goliaths as The Strong Guys). And I suspect that if it's 5% of characters being halflings there are far more players - I've played characters of multiple races.

 

[Garthanos]

I've had mine ride raptors crossed with Darksun cannibalism.

I have had carnivorous horses... so there is that.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Yes, it's 100% popularity based. An idea that has been in the game for FIFTY YEARS has never gained any real popularity.

Let’s assume that the ddb stats are representative of the whole hobby. 5% of active characters are Halflings. That is an enormous amount of people. They have never lost real popularity.

Two races that have been in the game for less than 20 are both more popular and considerably more popular.

And those two races are in the PHB.

So, yeah, drop the stuff that few people play in favor of stuff that actually gains traction. Don't drop it from the game entirely. Sure. Put them in the Monster Manual for those that want them.

Even if it were ever going to happen, and even if I agreed that it should, no. The MM is not where players go for PC options.

Cool beans. But as one of the four most popular PC races? Seriously?

You seem to misunderstand why the core four are. Human is the only race in its league of popularity. Everything else pales in comparison.

Halflings are still very much in the top 10 out of over a hundred races. Even if we went by current popularity, they’d still be in the PHB.